As Senate debates a resolution to fund the government, Montana Democrats Max Baucus and Jon Tester pitch an amendment to help ramp up the investigation into the American’s mysterious death.
Montana’s senators want U.S. research funds withheld from Shane Todd’s Singaporean employer until the FBI has full access to evidence in the American’s death investigation.
Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester, both Democrats, have introduced an amendment to the continuing resolution to fund the government that is being debated on the Senate floor this week that would block Defense Department funds from the employer, the Institute of Microelectronics (IME).
The move comes a day after Singapore’s foreign minister, Kasiviswanathan Shanmugam, met with Secretary of State John Kerry and two days after Shanmugam met with Baucus. Shanmugam said his country’s police would share evidence with the FBI and conduct an audit of IME’s dealings with the Chinese company Huawei.
“Singapore’s promise to share all evidence with the FBI is a significant step forward, and I appreciate the minister’s time and attention to Shane’s case,” Baucus said. “Now we have to keep the pressure on to ensure that commitment is fulfilled.”
Tester called Todd “a brilliant young scientist who cared for his work and for his country.”
The amendment “is a way to hold Singapore accountable and let them know we’re serious” about getting the answers that the Todd family deserves, Tester said.
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Todd was found hanging in his apartment in Singapore in June after his last day of work at Singapore’s IME, which in 2010 received $500,000 from Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), which develops new technologies for the U.S. military.
The amendment would block taxpayer dollars from reaching IME until the U.S. attorney general certifies that the FBI has full access to all evidence and records in the case. Tester is a co-sponsor of the amendment.
Singapore’s police initially classified Shane Todd’s a suicide. But Todd’s parents, Rick and Mary Todd of Marion, Mont., believe the death was a murder to hide the illegal transfer of sensitive technology by IME to a Chinese telecommunications company, Huawei, that U.S. intelligence officials say has ties to China’s military and intelligence services.
Shane’s apartment didn’t match the police description of the death scene, the Todds said. And evidence found on a hard drive that the parents found in Shane’s apartment shows that IME had planned to share Shane’s work on technology that can be used for civilian or military purposes with Huawei, they said.
Rick and Mary Todd met in Washington with Baucus and other U.S. officials March 1.
Shanmugam’s visit to Washington left the Todds “100% unsatisfied” with Singapore’s response, Rick Todd said.
Senators: Block Singapore funds for Shane Todd evidence
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